Many fans were shocked when it was announced that Harrison Ford would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most of whom will be surprised to learn that Marvel didn’t make the first move. Ford is a legend on the screen, having played iconic characters like Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and Rick Deckard. Despite being in his 80s, the actor is not only still acting, but also still making the big blockbuster movies that audiences associate him with – like Captain America: Brave New World, in which he plays Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross,” a role originated by William Hurt before his passing in 2022.
Captain America: Brave New World producer Nate Moore revealed how Marvel Studios was able to land the prestigious actor. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Moore said that it was Harrison Ford who approached Marvel Studios about joining the MCU, not the other way around. “It just so happened that Harrison Ford reached out to [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige about potentially playing in the Marvel sandbox,” said Moore. “We didn’t assume anybody would be game. Harrison saw it, I think, as an opportunity both to honor William [Hurt]’s work and to continue that character arc, which Harrison thought was really interesting in the other movies.”
Ford wanting to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe is very similar to how Mahershala Ali called up Marvel Studios after winning his second Academy Award and pitched them on making a Blade movie. Marvel realized a prestigious actor wanted to be part of their universe and play an iconic lead character, so they began developing Blade. While Marvel has seemingly struggled to make that Blade movie, it likely remains a priority given the level of talent involved. When it comes to Harrison Ford, a Hollywood legend, it seems likely that when he called Marvel, they took notice and made sure to find a significant part for him.
Harrison Ford’s Role in the MCU’s Future
Where some actors and directors have criticized the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ford has been surprisingly vocal about his admiration and appreciation of the mega-franchise. He previously said it was “silly” for actors to avoid the MCU. This certainly is surprising, given that Ford has earned somewhat of a reputation for apparently having a difficult time with the popularity of Star Wars. While he loved playing Indiana Jones, he didn’t seem to have the same affection for Han Solo, repeatedly asking for the character to be killed off. Yet anyone who saw the photos or video of Harrison Ford at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, where he acted like he was Hulking out in front of a large audience of fans, could see that the actor is having a lot of fun.
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It will be interesting to see if Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk will be a one-off character for Captain America: Brave New World or if he will have a recurring role to play in the MCU in projects like Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Ford isn’t forced or trapped into doing blockbuster movies like Captain America: Brave New World; he is doing them because he enjoys it and is still passionate about his craft. It’s great to see that Ford still has a passion for acting and has no plans to slow down, as he is currently wowing critics and audiences with his incredible role on the Apple TV+ series Shrinking.
- Director
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Julius Onah
- Cast
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Harrison Ford
, Liv Tyler
, Giancarlo Esposito
, Rosa Salazar
, Takehiro Hira
, Anthony Mackie
, Tim Blake Nelson
, Shira Haas
, Carl Lumbly
, Danny Ramirez
, Rachael Markarian
, Jacqueline Loucks
, Tony Mareno
, Zo’Anne Mckinstry
, Phuong Kubacki
, Colby Lopez
, Xosha Roquemore
